Such a great doctor and the staff is really friendly too. He took his time to talk & get to know my husband & I If your looking for an honest and caring eye doctor this is the place to go! read more

Super attentive and nice staff and MD. I generally only wear glasses for some reading (if I'm reading a lot), but my current glasses just weren't comfortable and I avoided wearing them. MD simplified my RX, explained what he was doing and why, and got me to the staff to choose my frames. The explanation of what and why was excellent and made me feel much more comfortable with the "what" and "why". The the staff was super nice and helpful in choosing my frames. I still don't like going to the eye MD b/c I get weirded out by people touching my eyes but they made me very comfortable and at ease. Great business read more

Have YOU ever seen your significant other's eyeball at a huge magnification? Thanks to Dr. Larsen, I have! It was awesome! I'm so happy with the service my husband and I have both gotten at Uptown Optometry. Dr. Larsen truly cares about patients and really wants to educate as well as aid. He let both my husband and I check out the each other's eyes while he was examining them, and explained in depth exactly what issues we each have and how to go about fixing them. I made an appointment after thinking I had conjunctivitis one day, and I was able to get in just a few hours later! At the appointment, I come to find out it's just a type of allergic reaction to my contacts. Grrrreat. Luckily the Dr. was able to get me a new pair of contacts (that seem to be working better & not causing the reaction/redness) and a RX for glasses as well. He also explained just what I should do in order to prevent this from happening. Anyway, I would recommend Uptown Optometry to anyone. They have a nice selection of frames: some pretty pricey, others reasonable. It's where I got my glasses and I'm not super rich so I chose a less expensive frame. I haven't ordered contacts there, but I figured I'd ask if they'll match prices I see online before ordering (if not I'll probably order online from a reputable site to save a buck or two). read more

Dr. Larsen and his super duper friendly staff is ah-mazing! I had a very difficult time finding a GOOD optometrist after my 9 years with Dr. Pack (family optometrist since I was 12 years old). I tried 2 others before hitting the jackpot with Dr. Larsen :) Dr. Larsen is so personable, friendly, and thorough in his examination process and takes the time to really explain all the tests and your current eye conditions, etc. His staff is sooooo sweet, friendly, and efficient. Their office is so centrally located in Hillcrest and very quirky. It is very clean and pleasant. Their eye wear selection is really good, they have a lot of high end designers and some very affordable designers as well. Lacey ordered my contacts the day of my exam and they arrived two days later! I am a very happy customer and look forward to coming here every year! read more

I visited Dr. Larsen because of the positive reviews here at Yelp, and I wasn't disappointed. The office was comfortable and not like some clinical offices that make you feel like you are at a doctor's office. I've never worn glasses, but had been having some twitching under my eye and wanted to get an exam and talk with the optometrist. Dr. Larsen did a great job at explaining possible causes and his recommendations. He also gave quite me a biology lesson about the eye muscles and a pretty in depth analysis of my own eyes, which I appreciated. I highly recommend Dr. Larsen and appreciate the time he took to explain what was going on with my eye muscles. read more

Just got back from a first visit with Uptown Optometry and Dr. Larsen. Had been seeing a different doctor for nearly 9 years and wanted to check out a new one. So glad I did! This is by far the best eye doctor I've ever visited. I learned more about my own eye health and about my prescription in one 20 minute or so visit (yes it was actually that long...no rush in and out) than in the previous 20+ years of contact wearing! And Dr. Larsen puts you at ease with his demeanor, humor and knowledge. Truly a great doctor. The exams cost around $150...about $50-75 less than my old doctor. Now the lenses themselves along with the glasses are on the pricey side. But they don't look at you weird or give you a sales pitch when you just ask for the written prescription (though I did buy a couple of boxes on the spot). Really top notch service staff. Oh and the office is one of the nicest doctor's offices I've ever been in to boot! Highly, highly recommended! read more

I have nothing much different to add to the reviews that are already listed! I LOVE this Dr. He is just like an Old Time Country Doc, he spent so much time with me explaining what is going on with my eyes and what my options are for correcting them....He didn't just do the normal exam, he even tested my eyes with the new contacts in to make sure that they were going to work well for me....he ended up changing them twice before getting just the right ones! All this was done for one low price!!! And included a visit in a week to make sure i was happy with the new contacts.....I will continue to use this place to keep my eyes "looking" good! read more

Ditto to what everyone else has said. I've never had an eye doctor explain to me why my eyes create problems for me, but like everyone has said, having Dr. Larson explain it everything is really helpful. My eyes are always dry and like everyone else suggested, he at first suggested that I try Acuvue Oasys but I told him they felt just as dry as Acuvue 2. We tried a pair of Oasys on and he looked at my eyes with the machine and was able to explain to me why my eyes would be as dry with Oasys and that they actually wouldn't be helpful to me. Like everyone's saying, he totally cares about your eyes. The staff were totally friendly. I read some other reviews about the girls at the front desk giving them attitude for not buying contacts from the office, but that wasn't my experience. They were cool about me buying some online. I'd recommend this place to everyone. read more

Ii am very impressed with the entire team. Everyone is thorough, professional, honest and caring. You can get a reference to an ethical ophthalmologist, which is worth its weight in gold given all the "LASIK mills" in town. I'd recommend Uptown Optometry very highly. read more

This is the cutest little optometrist office. I'd walked by it a million times, and decided to go there when I needed an eye exam. I am so glad I did! The doctor is WONDERFUL! I have major heebie-jeebies about eye exams, especially the glaucoma test. But he was so relaxed and humorous that he was able to put me at ease. I ended up ordering a pair of glasses through them (I knew I needed a new pair when I waslked through the door -- they did NOT try to upsell me at all). One of the girls there helped me pick out a super cute pair, and they were ready way sooner than promised. The office accepts the VSP insurance plan too, so that was a plus! read more

I haven't seen an eye doc in years! Read about this place and wanted to give it a try. Easy to find location. You can't miss it! Dr Larsen is an awesome guy. You can tell he loves what he does and he's good at what he does. He takes his time and makes sure you understand everything he is saying. I can't believe how blind I really was! This whole time I thought I had great vision...and in reality it was horrrible! But thanks to Dr Larsen...everything looks like its in High Def! LOL The only downfall...and I wish I listened to a fellow yelper...was the expensive frame ware. I bought frames that they charged more than $300 and I found a lot of them online for half the price :( They don't do price adjustments either. Well, atleast I know that now and hopefully I won't need to buy frames anytime soon. The girls are great too! Nice and very helpful. Hope I don't need to go back...but if I do...I'll be sure to see Dr Larsen! read more

My husband and I have been going to Dr. Larsen for about 10 years and it dawned on me that I never gave credit where credit was due. Dr. Larsen is amazingly kind, down to earth and smart. He really cares about his patients and you can tell he loves what he does for a living. Just today he got my husband in for a same day appointment because he had an eye issue that had been going on for weeks. His staff is well trained and friendly to boot. If I could give Dr. Larsen 6 stars I would! read more

Some of the best customer service interactions I have had. Very friendly staff! Go Charlene go! The doctor who views your eyes takes time to explain your vision and eye physiology. I had previously only gotten my vision tested through Kaiser Optometry and this was leagues Better. I highly recommend Uptown Optometry. read more

I havent had my eyes checked in at least 4 years, Ive always had pretty good luck with my vision. Within the last 2 years or so my eyes have felt strained (probably because I stare at a computer for 10 hours every day) and I see "floaters" all the time. I finally made an appointment to get things checked out. Dr Larsen is awesome. He is super friendly, calming and explains everything to you in great detail in terms that are easy to understand if you arent familiar with anything related to the eye. I told him there is a history of glaucoma and diabetes in my family. He did a great job explaining how it could effect my eyes and checked to see if I had any of the usual signs that I might have issues related to either one. The office was comfortable and the girl at the front desk was friendly, too. It doesnt look like I will need glasses any time soon but I will definitely continue to come here if I need to get anything else checked out. read more

Uptown Optometry - Optometrists Near Me - San Diego, California

RIP-OFF!! BEWARE! The negative reviews below are true. I came here last year for an eye exam for contact lenses; overall, I was satisfied with my experience. I was told AT THE END of the exam that I could not apply my VSP insurance to the eye exam itself and only to the purchase of contacts. I was never told before my exam any prices or what my insurance did and did not cover. Given that it was my first time using VSP , I complied, thinking what was said to be true and gave the secretary my payment (around $100) for the eye exam. I have been ordering my contact lenses via Walgreens.com b/c the contact lenses sold at Uptown are ridiculously overpriced. Recently, when i tried to re-ordering my contacts, was made aware that my prescription was expired. I called Uptown. As expected, I was told by the secretary that I needed to come in for another exam for an updated prescription. I politely asked if they would please rewrite my prescription b/c my eyesight has not changed. The secretary told me that she could NOT do that, however, SHE could sell me contacts I needed w/o a current prescription. That is HORSE S**T! HERE'S THE KICKER: Upset by what she said, I ran to Wal-Mart Optical. I would NEVER choose Wal-Mart for the care of my eyes, but b/c all I needed was an updated prescription, I chose Wal-Mart thinking prices would be cheaper. AND INDEED they were! Wal-Mart Optical ran my insurance and told me my co-pay for the exam was only !!!$10!!! Yes, $10! Plus, I had $110 credit to purchase contact with. I never thought I would be praising Wal-Mart, but after experiencing the schemes of UPTOWN, how can i not praise Wal-Mart Optical? If you want to get ripped-off, please choose UPTOWN OPTOMETRY! read more

Not pleased at all. The doctor is friendly and competent (hence the one star), however the front desk staff is not (which is why four stars are missing). For my first pair of contacts a couple of years ago, they took four weeks after the exam to arrive--apparently the order was misplaced. This year, I decided to try one more time. The second pair of contacts arrived and were incorrect; apparently one of the women at the front desk can't read the doctor's prescription and misread an 8 as a 5. Another week went by, the contacts arrived--and are still incorrect, but trying to get a follow up appointment was impossible due to various excuses--"no openings", "vacations". Six weeks on from my original appointment, I still don't have functional contacts. That's inexcusable service, and I'm taking my business elsewhere. I recommend you be very wary if you choose this optometrist. read more

Dr. Larsen is the best eye doctor, and probably the best doctor, I've ever had. I feel completely at home at his office and have rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for my appointment. As other Yelpers have posted, Dr. Larsen is very personable and happy to explain things (one of my pet peeves is going to the doc and not understanding what's going on). I would recommend him and Uptown Optometry without reservation. read more

I have been going to Dr Larsen for almost 20 years. He is professional, knowledgeable, reasonably priced, ethical and he treats you like family. I live in north county now but will not switch to another doctor because Dr Larsen is simply the best! read more

I love this place. Dr. Larsen is great and the staff is fantastic. I have been going there for years and have never had problem with anything. Based on Dr. Larsen's recommendation I have gotten lasik eye surgery and it was the best thing I have ever done. Dr. Larsen takes care of me and my family very well. read more

I've been coming here for around 8 years, and I've never had a bad experience. The doctor is very nice and thorough, and the staff are always friendly and helpful. Over the years I've purchased contacts, frames, and lenses from them. There's not much to say about the contacts. They did there job and were an average price. They have a decent selection of frames, at a variety of prices. The selection of cheaper frames is limited, which I think is the only drawback here. There is a decent selection of moderate to expensive designer frames. The first set of frames I got here have lasted me 8 years. I'm only now getting my second set. A few years ago, after my appointment, my prescription changed a bit and I was having a hard time choosing new frames. The helpful staff told me I didn't have to get new frames, and they could just have new lenses made for my existing frames. It's probably stupid, but I didn't realize that could be done. I really appreciated that information, and was happy that I would be saving money by not buying new frames. The glasses I've purchased here have been expensive, but not expensive because of this business. They've been expensive because of the frames and options that I wanted. I've tried cheaper frames and lenses in the past (from other places), and have gotten frames that fell apart and lenses that weren't quite right. I would rather pay a little more for glasses that last me a decade, than less for glasses that I have to replace every couple years. My prescription has always been dead-on, and the contacts & glasses have worked perfectly for me. I have VSP insurance, and I've never had an issue. Another note about the helpful staff... Last time I was in, I spent a little time looking at frames before my appointment and wasn't really finding anything I liked (I am very picky). After my appointment, one of the young ladies there offered to help me look. I told her what I was looking for, and she pulled frames that matched. Being so picky, it took a little while. She was patient and pulled probably 20 pairs before I finally found one that I really liked. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. In short, I can't recommend this place enough. read more

I usually have to wait at least 15 minutes before I'm seen for an eye appointment, but I didn't have to wait really at all for my appointment with Dr. Larsen. Could've been because I was the first patient of the day but that was still pretty nice. Dr. Larsen actually explained to me about my astigmatism which none of my previous optometrists had done before. He was super friendly and conversational. I just got a regular eye exam with a contacts prescription which cost $149. read more

My friend recommended Dr Larsen to us, and even though it was a 25 minute drive away, we gave it a spin. From the first appointment, we've been hooked. Dr Larsen simply knows his stuff, and his staff is warm and friendly. I have never had to wait around for my appointment to start, but even if i did, he has a good selection of sunglasses and frames to widdle away at the wait time. Dr Larsen has set me up with glasses with a prescription that works with my age, profession and lifestyle -- and most importantly didn't look like thick clear hockey pucks. The glasses transaction from eye exam, frame selection, and delivery was perfect. They were available in a week. Usually there's some delay or after a year, the quality of the lens goes south, but not with the glasses / lens i got. Then late last year, I decided to find out about LASIK and Dr Larsen told me my options. With my bad eye sight, along with not so good astigmatism... i might be a borderline patient or just a glasses chick for life. So before we hit the road of speculation, he set me up for a LASIK consult at a facility he respected and filled out the paperwork. He took the extra time to perform the necessary eye exam for LASIK stuff. He wasn't pushy with the surgery because if something went wrong or i wasn't 100% happy, he would have to deal with the fall out. The LASIK eye place loved all the thorough paper work Larsen provided, and the staff said very nice comments about Larsen's work and personality. Turned out I was a candidate, and just last week, I got it done (Jan 2011). The next day after the surgery, I saw Larsen, and he reviewed the surgery and showed my husband the cuts and other eye things. His enthusiasm and thrill for the results helped eased any concerns we may have had. With the second follow-up appointment, we could see how he was very impressed with the surgery and the correction. He told me what i could expect in terms of eye drops and night vision but his amazement with the results made me rest easy. I'm very happy with the follow-up results. As i stepped out of glasses, my husband needed a pair. Larsen's staff helped my husband find the right frames and lens. We placed the order on Friday, and we received a call on Monday that they were available. Unreal! Now, if you just want an exam from a machine through a fast food like line, this probably isn't your place - although it will be your best experience ever. But if you want to have a regular eye guy who cares about you and your eyes, especially as you age, Larsen is your guy. We hope to have him as our eye doctor for a very long time! read more

Hard to believe I've come here well over a decade. I love Dr. Larsen. He is a phenomenal person--very knowledgeable, kind, and spends the time necessary to give a comprehensive exam and address any patient concerns. It's the best eye care I've ever received. I wholeheartedly recommend him. I can't imagine going anywhere else. read more

This was my vision place back when I lived in San Diego and based on prior experience I figured I could wrap it into a San Diego trip. Definitely a great place with good service, an excellent doctor & nice choice of frames read more

Great doctor, he is awesome BUT ... jeez, the front desk girls have ZERO clue what they are doing !!!!!! 3 weeks for a pair of glasses and there still freaking wrong !!!! BEWARE !!!! read more

Dr. Larsen is a fantastic optometrist. He is personal, friendly, and a joker. I will never go to another optometrist if I can help it.

Dr. Larsen takes the time with each of his patients to get to know them. I love it that he explains everything and teaches me what is going on with my vision. If only his office were open every day. Their hours are limited. read more

Who has two thumbs and had FUN at the eye doctor today? THIS GUY. I would have written this review earlier, but it's ridiculously hard to type with dilated pupils. I needed to get in to see an eye doctor before leaving town, and they managed to get me in for an appointment on super short notice. The staff was friendly on the phone, and took care of the insurance vision plan stuff without me having to much of anything. They were friendly when I arrived for my appointment as well, Didn't have to wait to get back to a room and see Dr. Larsen. Talk about a guy that loves his job. Dr. Larsen really gets a kick out of being an optometrist, plain and simple. He was very thorough, and adjusted the conversation to nerd-level of detail (I liked the physiology behind what was going on). The contact lens fitting was way cheaper than where I used to go, my plan covered pretty much everything else so I'm not sure about the rest of the costs here. read more

I always thought Dr. Larsen and his crew were top notch and I've spent thousands of dollars with them over the past decade plus.That includes eye exams, glasses and prescription sunglasses. So...when one of my frames kept having a loose screw, I went in and was told it would cost me $5 to have it replaced because the glasses were out of warranty. A screw replaced, for crying out loud! I explained that I've spent all of this money over the years, was a good and loyal customer and didn't think that was appropriate. Charge me $5 more for my glasses if you're that hard up but don't nickel and dime me.They insisted so I left and wrote Dr. Larsen a personal letter explaining my concerns. I never heard back from either the Dr. or his office. I guess my business didn't matter and that disappoints me. Be prepared to pay for what should be normal business courtesies (including, by the way, $1 each for cleaning cloths for your new and costly eyeglasses). I choose to do business with professionals who value my business. read more

Just went back for my yearly check and once again, they never fail to impress. Dr. Larsen is just a great, thorough and friendly doctor. I wish all doctors could be like this. read more

Thanks, Yelpers! I trusted your opinions and found a great optometrist! The office staff is friendly, and the doc is knowledgeable with a refreshing sense of humor. Great combo! I have never received such a thorough exam, complete with an explanation of exactly what my results meant. They are also open on Saturdays, which rocks! read more

I was a patient for a decade then I moved to North County. I tried a new dr up in North County... what a mistake. Dr Larsen had to fix my perscription and I was so happy to be able to see again. Dr. Larsen and his staff are worth the drive! I would continue to use them even if I moved to LA! read more

Even if you only see him once a year, Dr. Larsen will give you the best service and treat you like family. He is interested in quality care and not high revenues. I've been a patient for eight years and I highly recommend him for all your optometry care. read more

So far so good! Office was cute and clean, I like their selection of glasses. The workers explained my costs so I didn't have any surprises. Dr. Larson is very nice and I really liked him, more personable than other optometrists I've seen. I have been to awful places with horrible customer service, and this is not one of them. I will be ordering a specialized pair of glasses from here, and am confident they will be just what I need! The space is also VERY cute, much more comfortable than the more clinical feel in a standard medical office..! read more

I've been going to Uptown Optometry for a couple years now, usually for contact lens appointments. Dr. Larsen is super friendly and explains things to you in such a simple and understandable way. I remember the first time I went there he almost zeroed in on my prescription using some fancy contraption before even having to ask me all these questions. I was quite impressed. However, I probably wouldn't recommend buying your contacts through them. You can find much better deals online. Plus for some reason they don't ship your lenses to you unless you order a year's supply. Thus you need to make a second trip to their office just to pick up your contacts. Other than that's it's a great place. Don't have many other optometrists to compare to, but I really like Dr. Larsen. read more

Dr Larsen is as friendly and helpful as they come. The office is immaculate and well run. I feel somewhat guilty mentioning the following but I did save an enormous amount of money by ordering my contacts on-line instead of at the office. To take it one step further, I picked out the frames I liked at the office but went home to order those on-line as well. I brought the frames back into the office and had them fit the lenses. The front desk person seemed a little put off by this but I literally saved over $200 on a pair of Gucci fames by doing so. (They weren't knock-offs either.) By ordering my contacts and frames on line, I ended up saving close to $300. Again, Dr Larsen is great but they need to make themselves much more competitive by at least coming close to on-line prices. A few bucks more, I would gladly go through the convenience of ordering everything at the office, but paying close to $300 more? Um, no. read more

I don't wear glasses and have never been to an optometrist, but when I got something in my eye while assembling some furniture, I went to Dr. Larsen. He asked a lot of questions and really took his time; his obvious enthusiasm about his work inspired a lot of confidence in me. It turned out my problem was a bit more complicated than just having something in my eye, but Dr. Larsen recommended several easy treatments. A month later, my eye is totally fine. Also, the price was very reasonable. I hope I don't need to go back to an optometrist, but if I did, I would come back here in a second. read more

I am an out of state visitor and had a severe problem with my eyeglass frame. It got bent and so I couldn't see at all because the lens alignment was totally skewed. I stopped into Uptown Optometry without an appointment and Valerie could not have been nicer. She took the glasses to the back, and within just a couple of minutes handed them back to me properly aligned and cleaned. No charge. My vacation continues, sight restored. Thank you so much for your service even to a non-customer. read more

I actually was sent here from someone at LensCrafters because what the folks at LensCrafters was going to charge was unbelievable, even with insurance. I was pleased by the service and professionalism. Have another eye doctor but don't care for style of frames and was happy I found someone who could find me a moderate alternative. read more

This guys seems nice enough and the staff is pleasant and helpful. The problem is that his business is more interested in selling you REALLY EXPENSIVE glasses than providing optometry services. I probably should have figured this out by his advertising and especially when you walk in and the entire entry area is a show room for glasses. Buyer Beware!!!!!!!!!!! The last thing he is going to tell you is that you are just as well off going to Costco and getting a 3 pair of glasses for $18. He'd rather pitch his designer glasses, that you really don't need, for $450+ read more